NIB AbilityOne Program: Every Purchase Creates Jobs

National Industries for the Blind works to create jobs for people who are blind. These employees make SKILCRAFT products and work in many service areas. SKILCRAFT products are sold to the U.S. government and military through the AbilityOne Program (JWOD).

Monday, December 27, 2010

Excerpted from a story by Stephen J. Baker, DLA Aviation Public AffairsOct. 26, 2010 Read the full story online at DLA Aviation

Retired Army Brig. Gen. J.A. "Yogi" Mangual, a former commander of DLA Troop Support who is now executive vice president and president of Puerto Rico Operations for Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, talks with DLA Aviation Chief of Staff Marine Col. Robin Gentry about the aerial delivery products they produce for the military. (Photo by Jackie Girard)

Retired Army Brig. Gen. J.A. "Yogi" Mangual, a former commander of DLA Troop Support who is now executive vice president and president of Puerto Rico Operations for Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, talks with DLA Aviation Chief of Staff Marine Col. Robin Gentry about the aerial delivery products they produce for the military. (Photo by Jackie Girard)

Defense Logistics Agency Aviation hosted its third annual AbilityOne Fair at Defense Supply Center Richmond's Lotts Conference Center Oct. 19, allowing employees to learn more about support the agency and warfighters receive from Americans with disabilities.

An aerial delivery section was the highlight of this year's event, featuring many items that DLA Aviation only recently acquired the responsibility for purchasing.

"About two-and-a-half years ago, we in the Marine Corps were talking about getting rid of our aerial delivery platoons, because the demand wasn't there. I will tell you that since that time, we've quadrupled the amount of aerial delivery in Afghanistan," DLA Aviation Chief of Staff Col. Robin Gentry told attendees during his opening remarks at the event.

He said America's military is using aerial delivery now more than it did in World War II, and that it's significant to DLA Aviation employees and AbilityOne because the program provides many of the related supplies.

"All those cargo straps, skid boards and high-velocity parachutes bring food, water and ammunition to Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen on the battlefield," he said. "That is your link to what we do every day to sustain the military."

Retired Army Brig. Gen. J.A. "Yogi" Mangual, who commanded DLA Troop Support in Philadelphia from 2000-2002, represented Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind at AbilityOne Day. He serves the North Carolina-based organization as both its executive vice president and president of Puerto Rico Operations.

About National Industries for the BlindAt National Industries for the Blind (NIB), it is our mission to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and 89 associated agencies serve as the largest employer for people who are blind by the sale of SKILCRAFT® products and services through the AbilityOne Program, established by the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act. www.nib.org

Thursday, December 16, 2010

National Industries for the Blind Calls for Increased Internet Accessibility at Department of Justice Public Hearing

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, National Industries for the Blind (NIB) called for websites and information services to become more accessible to people who are blind, noting this will broaden employment opportunities for a community that experiences 70 percent unemployment nationwide.

Thomas Panek, Vice President of Relationship Management at NIBand a person who is blind, offered expert testimony at a public hearing convened by the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on Proposed Revisions to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

“As the largest employer of people who are blind, NIB and its associated agencies have demonstrated that with the necessary levels of accessibility and training, people who are blind are more than capable of succeeding in high-skill careers,” said Panek. “Anything that employers and business owners can do to increase access to websites and information services will not only create more jobs, but also help people who are blind to live more independent lives.”

“As technology rapidly develops, so must our solutions to improving access for people who are blind,” said Kevin A. Lynch, President and CEO of NIB. “NIB looks forward to working with the federal government and private sector businesses to identify ways to not only increase access, but to also leverage technology and the Internet to create career opportunities for people who are blind.”

During his testimony, Panek noted NIB would like to act as a partner and a resource to the federal government for developing a workable framework for website access for people who are blind.

In particular, Panek detailed NIB’s support for enhancing website accessibility for people who are blind, while recognizing that regulation should only be enacted where self-regulation is insufficient.

Specific recommendations supported by NIB and offered by Panek include:

* Business owners must work with members of the blind community to identify what access areas could be improved upon, and the potential solutions that exist.• To the extent that it is possible, and reasonable, the public and private sector should use the latest accessibility standards. • The Department should adopt requirements that revise the ADA Title II regulation to establish accessibility requirements for making the services, programs, or activities offered by state and local governments to the public via the Internet accessible.• The Department should adopt the technical standard of WCAG 2.0 double A standard for website accessibility for public accommodations, namely entities covered by Titles II and III of the ADA.• The Department should maintain and provide a list of resources for technical assistance to assist public entities in complying with proposed rules.

NIB believes these recommendations will help increase website accessibility and career opportunities for people who are blind.

“Seven out of 10 persons who are blind are unemployed. Every step we take to improve accessibility is a step toward lowering that unemployment rate,” Panek concluded. “As NIB has clearly demonstrated, with the necessary technology and training resources in place, people who are blind are capable of completing the job.”

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About National Industries for the BlindAt National Industries for the Blind (NIB), it is our mission to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and 89 associated agencies serve as the largest employer for people who are blind by the sale of SKILCRAFT® products and services through the AbilityOne Program, established by the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act. www.nib.org

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, today I rise to celebrate and honor the service of Army Master Sergeant Jeffrey Mittman for receiving the Osborne A. ``Oz'' Day AbilityOne Awareness Award. The prestigious ``Oz'' Award is presented by the Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled to an employee at a federal agency who demonstrates exceptional service promoting the AbilityOne Program throughout the federal, state and local communities.

Now, the National Account Manager for the National Industries for the Blind's Midwest Region, Master Sergeant Mittman supports a mission of employment for others with disabilities by promoting the AbilityOne Program through the federal procurement process in Indiana's 5th Congressional District. This patriot's story is a remarkable one, for his story does not start nor finish here with this award.

Master Sergeant Mittman's indefatigable commitment to serve his fellow Americans began as a soldier in the United States Army in 1989. Having fought in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Desert Shield, Operation Enduring Freedom, and in 2003, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Master Sergeant Mittman was the All-American hero who never turned down defending his country. It wasn't till his return to Iraq in 2005 as a special advisor to the Iraqi Department of the Interior that he came face to face with death changing his life forever.

Tragically, an improvised explosive device exploded near his vehicle in Iraq, leaving Master Sergeant Mittman without a nose, lips, most of his teeth, and the majority of his vision. Since that time, he has endured more than 40 operations and spent over four years recovering physically and emotionally. To his great credit, he has traveled the country sharing the lessons he learned from these experiences with the world.

He is noted for saying it is the veteran who has to take that very first step to recovering and that he realized this after attending the Blinded Veterans Association Conference in 2006, where he met people who were blinded years ago who are now attorneys, teachers and business executives. After realizing life can be good in spite of having a disability, he decided to help others who also have disabilities find jobs and lead meaningful lives.

Master Sergeant Mittman, a 40-year-old decorated warrior, husband of 17 years, father of two and outspoken military veteran was and forever will be an All-American hero whose determination and selflessness continue to serve our country and inspire our hearts. Today, we salute you.

The Raleigh Lions Clinic for the Blind, which these days goes by the name RLCB, is doing its part to create jobs for the blind, thanks in part to a new contract with a 72-year-old national nonprofit.

RLCB has hired five sight-impaired workers in an expansion of its Raleigh call center operation to service the new contact with the National Industries for the Blind.

“With the jobless rate among the blind now running at about 70 percent, any job created is substantial,” says agency spokeswoman Sharon Giovinazzo.

The call center, which employs around 15 and contracts with a number of business clients for short-term jobs,was tapped by the Alexandria, Va.-based NIB to handle national calls for SKILCRAFT products sold to federal agencies and the U.S. Department of Defense [through the AbilityOne Program/JWOD]. The center will also handle customer fulfillment, includingcatalog requests and distribution of brochures and sales collateral, under the deal.

Raleigh, NC: RLCB (formerly Raleigh Lions Clinic for the Blind) is celebrating the opening of a new call center facility that is providing employment for people who are blind. The call center is a state-of-the-art facility staffed by well qualified and trained employees who are blind.

“RLCB offers a turn-key call center operation for small or large businesses throughout the United States,” said RLCB CEO Janet Griffey. “The employees at this location handle short-term and long-term projects with great results. One client seeking to increase its membership base experienced a 400% return on investment using our call center.”

National Industries for the Blind (NIB) recently selected the RLCB call center to handle national calls for its SKILCRAFT® products sold through the AbilityOne Program to federal agencies and the U.S. Department of Defense. The call center also handles customer fulfillment including catalog requests and distribution of brochures and sales collateral.

“This call center is a great asset that is helping nearly 500 distributors, most of which are small businesses selling SKILCRAFT products throughout the federal government,” said Kevin A. Lynch, president and CEO, National Industries for the Blind. “We expect to see the call center create more new jobs locally, and as SKILCRAFT sales increase through the call center’s telemarketing services, these sales will help sustain and create jobs for nearly 6,000 blind employees nationwide who produce SKILCRAFT products and services.”

As this program grows, it will also have a positive impact on the local economy in Raleigh.

“The call center at RLCB represents the type of sustainable jobs Raleigh wants to attract to our community. As the call center grows it will add good paying jobs for people who are blind and help preserve a high quality of life for our residents,” said Charles Meeker, Mayor, Raleigh, North Carolina.

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About National Industries for the BlindAt National Industries for the Blind (NIB), it is our mission to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and 89 associated agencies serve as the largest employer for people who are blind by the sale of SKILCRAFT® products and services through the AbilityOne Program, established by the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act. www.nib.org

About RLCB (Raleigh Lions Clinic for the Blind)RLCB’s mission is to empower people who are blind and visually impaired through employment opportunities and services to achieve social and economic equality. Jobs are provided throughRLCB, Inc., a North Carolina based diverse textile manufacturer, distributor and business services provider. Its business units provide textile manufacturing services; pick, pack and ship distribution services; and comprehensive, multi-media contact center business services. www.rlcb.net

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

OWEN CAIN depends on a respirator and struggles to make even the slightest movements — he has had a debilitating motor-neuron disease since infancy. Owen, 7, does not have the strength to maneuver a computer mouse, but when a nurse propped her boyfriend’s iPad within reach in June, he did something his mother had never seen before.

He aimed his left pointer finger at an icon on the screen, touched it — just barely — and opened the application Gravitarium, which plays music as users create landscapes of stars on the screen. Over the years, Owen’s parents had tried several computerized communications contraptions to give him an escape from his disability, but the iPad was the first that worked on the first try.

A speech pathologist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center uses text-to-speech applications to give patients a voice. Christopher Bulger, a 16-year-old in Chicago who injured his spine in a car accident, used an iPad to surf the Internet during the early stages of his rehabilitation, when his hands were clenched into fists. “It was nice because you progressed from the knuckle to the finger to using more than one knuckle on the screen,” he said.

Representative Edward J. Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, who wrote recently enacted legislation that will require mobile devices to be more accessible to users with disabilities, said approximately three-fourths of communications and video devices need to be adapted for blind and deaf people. “Apple,” he said in a statement, “is an outlier when it comes to devices that are accessible out of the box.” The iPad is also, generally speaking, less expensive than computers and other gadgets specifically designed to help disabled people speak, read or write. While insurers usually do not cover the cost of mobile devices like the iPad because they are not medical equipment, in some cases they will pay for the applications that run on them.

AbilityOne Base Supply Center Store Finder (within 50 miles)

About NIB

At National Industries for the Blind (NIB) our mission is to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily by creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and more than 85 associated agencies throughout the United States, are the largest employers of Americans who are blind. These workers make quality SKILCRAFT products, work at Base Supply Center stores, and provide business services for government, military and commercial entities. As part of the AbilityOne Program (formerly known as JWOD - Javits-Wagner-O'Day), SKILCRAFT products and NIB agency services help government and military procurement officers meet their federal purchasing requirements under FAR 8.7 and other procurement regulations. For more than 70 years, NIB has provided job opportunities for people who are blind. Learn more at www.nib.org.